Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) – Complete Explanation + PDF

In this article, we explain everything you need to know about the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). We will cover the aspects it evaluates, the target population, a detailed step-by-step explanation, and how to interpret its results. Additionally, we will dive into the scientific evidence supporting this tool (diagnostic sensitivity and specificity) in clinical assessment. You will also find official and unofficial sources available for download in PDF format.

What does the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) assess?

The Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) is a clinical assessment tool used to evaluate an individual’s mobility, balance, walking ability, and risk of falling. It measures the time taken for a person to rise from a chair, walk a specified distance, turn around, return, and sit down, providing objective data for fall risk assessment in older adults and patients with neurological or musculoskeletal disorders. The test’s reliability and validity have been well established in various populations, making it a valuable instrument in both clinical and research settings. Detailed Timed Up and Go test instructions and scoring PDF resources facilitate standardized administration and interpretation. Clinicians use Timed Up and Go test normal values to compare individual performance against expected benchmarks, aiding in the evaluation of functional mobility limitations.

For which type of patients or populations is the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) intended?

The Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) is primarily indicated for assessing mobility and fall risk in older adults, especially those with balance impairments or a history of falls. It is widely utilized in clinical contexts involving patients with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and multiple sclerosis, as well as individuals undergoing rehabilitation after orthopedic surgery. The test’s reliability and validity make it a practical tool for evaluating functional mobility and predicting fall risk in these populations. Clinicians often refer to Timed Up and Go test interpretation guidelines and normal values to quantify performance and tailor interventions. Use of the Timed Up and Go test scoring PDF allows for standardized documentation and comparison across clinical settings.

Step-by-Step Explanation of the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG)

The Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) requires the patient to rise from a standard armchair, walk a distance of 3 meters, turn around, walk back to the chair, and sit down. The test consists of a single timed item measured in seconds, capturing mobility and balance. The patient is instructed to perform the task at a normal pace, and the evaluator records the total completion time using a stopwatch. Response format is continuous, with times typically ranging from 8 to 30 seconds; times exceeding 13.5 seconds may indicate higher fall risk, particularly in individuals with Parkinson’s disease or stroke. This objective measure aids clinicians in assessing functional mobility and fall risk in older adults or those with neuromuscular disorders.

Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) PDF Resources: Instructions, Interpretation & Normal Values

Below are the downloadable resources available in both the original language and English versions of the Timed Up and Go Test in PDF format. These materials include detailed Timed Up and Go Test Instructions, information on Timed Up and Go test interpretation, and essential data regarding Timed Up and Go test normal values. Healthcare professionals can utilize these documents to enhance assessment accuracy, ensuring reliable evaluation of fall risk in clinical populations.

How to interpret the results of the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG)?

The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test measures the time, in seconds, that an individual takes to stand up from a seated position, walk 3 meters, turn around, walk back, and sit down. A score of less than 10 seconds is generally considered normal for healthy adults, whereas times between 10 and 20 seconds suggest moderate mobility impairment. Scores exceeding 20 seconds may indicate a high risk of falls, particularly in populations with Parkinson’s disease or stroke. The TUG time is often used alongside clinical judgment and other assessments to evaluate functional mobility and fall risk. Healthcare professionals should interpret results within the context of the patient’s age, comorbidities, and baseline mobility; for example, a TUG time of 25 seconds in an elderly patient may reflect significant functional decline requiring intervention. The formula for the score is simply the total time recorded in seconds, without adjustments. Thus, prolonged times can guide clinicians in developing targeted rehabilitation strategies and fall prevention plans.

What scientific evidence supports the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) ?

The Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), originally developed by Podsiadlo and Richardson in 1991, has undergone extensive validation across multiple populations and clinical settings. It reliably assesses functional mobility and fall risk, particularly in older adults and individuals with Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and hip fractures. Numerous studies have demonstrated strong test-retest reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients exceeding 0.9 in various cohorts. Concurrent validity is supported by significant correlations between TUG performance and standardized measures such as the Berg Balance Scale and gait speed tests. Furthermore, its predictive validity for future falls has been confirmed in longitudinal designs, underscoring its clinical utility. The standardized administration protocol and ease of use have contributed to its widespread adoption as a quick screening tool within geriatric and neurological rehabilitation.

Diagnostic Accuracy: Sensitivity and Specificity of the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG)

The Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) demonstrates variable sensitivity and specificity depending on the population and cutoff values used. Studies report sensitivity ranging from 70% to 87% for identifying individuals at risk of falls, while specificity estimates generally fall between 58% and 90%. For example, a commonly cited cutoff of 13.5 seconds yields approximately 80% sensitivity and 85% specificity in community-dwelling older adults. However, these parameters may decrease in patients with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or stroke, where overlapping mobility impairments affect test accuracy. Therefore, while TUG is a useful screening tool for fall risk, its diagnostic performance should be interpreted within the clinical context and supplemented with additional assessments when necessary.

Related Scales or Questionnaires

The Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) shares similarities with assessments such as the Berg Balance Scale, the 10-Meter Walk Test, and the Functional Reach Test, all of which are explained and available for download on ClinicalToolsLibrary.com. While the Berg Balance Scale offers a comprehensive evaluation of balance through multiple tasks, it is more time-intensive compared to the quick administration of the TUG. The 10-Meter Walk Test provides detailed gait speed analysis but lacks the multidimensional functional mobility assessment present in the TUG. The Functional Reach Test serves as a simple measure of balance but does not encompass dynamic tasks like standing up or turning, which are critical in fall risk evaluation. Each instrument’s reliability and validity have been documented in various populations, including those with stroke and Parkinson’s disease. Users interested in detailed methodologies can refer to the Timed Up and Go test Instructions and the Timed Up and Go test interpretation documents available on the website to enhance clinical application.

What is the timed up and go test?

The TUG was described by Podsiadlo and Richardson in 1991 as a timed, standardised version of the earlier Get-Up and Go Test. It condenses several everyday movements — sit-to-stand, straight-line gait, a 180° turn, and stand-to-sit — into a single number. Because it needs only a chair, a stopwatch and a marked line, the timed up and go assessment has become one of the most widely used mobility screens in geriatrics, physiotherapy and pre-operative clinics.

A TUG time reflects lower-limb strength, dynamic balance, gait speed and the ability to turn safely. It correlates with the Berg Balance Scale and with comfortable gait speed, and it is one of the performance measures listed in the 2022 World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management as part of a multifactorial falls assessment. It is a screen, not a diagnosis.

How to perform the TUG test: distance, equipment and instructions

Standardisation matters more than speed. Small changes to chair height, the marked distance or the wording of the instruction can shift a result by a second or more, which is enough to move someone across a cut-off.

Equipment and set-up

• Chair: a standard armchair, roughly 46 cm seat height with armrests at about 65 cm. It must not have wheels.
• Distance: a line or cone 3 metres (10 feet) from the front legs of the chair.
• Stopwatch (or the calculator above).
• Footwear and aids: the person wears their usual shoes and uses their usual walking aid. Record which aid was used — a TUG with a rollator is not comparable to a TUG without one.
• Safety: the assessor walks alongside the person throughout.

Step-by-step timed up and go test instructions

1. Seat the person with their back against the chair and arms resting on the armrests.
2. Say: “When I say ‘Go’, stand up, walk to the line at your normal pace, turn, walk back and sit down again.”
3. Allow one untimed practice trial.
4. Start the stopwatch on the word “Go” — not when the person begins to move.
5. Stop the stopwatch the moment their back contacts the chair again.
6. Record the time in seconds, plus any observations: hesitancy, short strides, loss of balance, en-bloc turning, reliance on the armrests, or steadying against walls.

The CDC STEADI TUG assessment form follows exactly this protocol and is the version most US clinics use.

Printable TUG score sheet and PDF

If you need a paper record rather than an on-screen calculator, the CDC STEADI form linked above is free, one page, and doubles as a timed up and go test scoring sheet — it has fields for the time in seconds and a checklist of gait observations. Print it double-sided with the STEADI fall-risk algorithm so the next action is obvious once you have the number.

Timed up and go test norms by age

The most widely cited normative reference values come from Bohannon’s 2006 descriptive meta-analysis of 21 studies of apparently healthy older adults. Note that these are means with 95% confidence intervals, not diagnostic thresholds. Bohannon’s own guidance is that a person whose time exceeds the upper limit of the confidence interval for their age band can be regarded as performing worse than average — which is a prompt to look further, not a verdict.

Timed up and go test scoring and interpretation

Scoring is simply the elapsed time in seconds — there is no points system, no formula, and nothing to add up. Interpretation is where judgement enters. Several thresholds circulate in the literature, drawn from different populations, and they are not interchangeable.

Tracking change over time

Serial TUG times are often more informative than any single reading. A worsening trend of a few seconds across months — especially alongside a new medication, a hospital admission or a fall — is a meaningful signal even when every individual value sits under the cut-off. Repeat the test under identical conditions (same chair, same shoes, same walking aid, same time of day relative to medication) and record all three variables next to the score. If you are also tracking sit-to-stand power, our 30-second sit-to-stand test calculator pairs naturally with the TUG.

Accuracy, limitations and TUG variations

The TUG is reliable — test–retest reliability is high across most populations studied — but reliability is not the same as predictive accuracy. In a systematic review and meta-analysis of community-dwelling older adults, Barry and colleagues (2014) found that at the ≥13.5-second cut-off the pooled specificity (0.74, 95% CI 0.52–0.88) considerably exceeded the pooled sensitivity (0.31, 95% CI 0.13–0.57). Practically: a slow TUG is reasonably good at ruling in elevated risk, but a fast TUG does not rule it out. The authors concluded that the test should not be used in isolation to identify high-risk individuals in the community.

The test is also insensitive to why someone is slow. A 16-second time could reflect quadriceps weakness, vestibular dysfunction, fear of falling, peripheral neuropathy, or simply arthritic knees. This is why the timed up and go test earns its place as the opening move of an assessment rather than the whole of one — pair it with a balance measure such as the Berg Balance Scale calculator and a structured multifactorial falls risk assessment.

Dual-task and instrumented variants

• TUG-Cognitive: the person counts backwards in threes from a random number while completing the course. A large increase over the standard time suggests reduced attentional reserve for walking.
• TUG-Manual: the person carries a full cup of water. Tests upper-limb/gait division of attention.
• Instrumented TUG (iTUG): body-worn inertial sensors segment the test into sit-to-stand, gait, turn and stand-to-sit phases. Widely used in research; sensor-derived phase metrics are not yet standardised for routine clinical decision-making, and thresholds for them should be treated as investigational.

Frequently asked questions

What is the timed up and go test used for?

It screens functional mobility and fall risk. The person stands from a chair, walks 3 metres, turns, walks back and sits; the time in seconds is the score. It is used in geriatric clinics, physiotherapy, pre-operative assessment and neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and stroke.

What is the distance for the timed up and go test?

Three metres, equivalent to 10 feet, measured from the front legs of the chair to the turning line. The person covers 6 metres in total — out and back.

What is a normal timed up and go test score?

In healthy older adults the pooled mean is about 9.4 seconds overall: 8.1 s at 60–69, 9.2 s at 70–79 and 11.3 s at 80–99 (Bohannon, 2006). Under 10 seconds is conventionally described as freely mobile.

What TUG score indicates a fall risk?

The CDC STEADI programme flags an adult aged 65 or older who takes 12 seconds or more as being at increased risk of falling. Much of the research literature uses a slightly higher threshold of 13.5 seconds. Either way, a positive screen should trigger a fuller multifactorial assessment, not a diagnosis.

Is a practice trial allowed before the timed trial?

Yes. One untimed practice trial is standard and is recommended so that the person understands the instruction and the route. Only the subsequent trial is timed.

Can a walking aid be used during the TUG?

Yes. The person uses whatever aid they normally use, and the aid must be documented with the score. Times recorded with and without an aid are not comparable, and neither are times recorded with different aids.

How accurate is the TUG at predicting falls?

Moderately specific, poorly sensitive. At the ≥13.5-second cut-off, pooled specificity was 0.74 and pooled sensitivity 0.31 in community-dwelling older adults (Barry et al., 2014). A slow time is a useful warning; a fast time does not exclude fall risk.

What is the difference between the Get-Up and Go and the timed up and go test?

The original Get-Up and Go Test (Mathias, 1986) scored the manoeuvre on a subjective 1–5 ordinal scale. Podsiadlo and Richardson replaced that judgement with a stopwatch in 1991, producing the timed version used today. The terms “timed get up and go” and “timed up and go” refer to the same test.